IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL OF MYCOTOXINS IN NELLORE CATTLE FEEDLOT DIETS

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of mycotoxins in feedlot beef cattle in Brazil, identify which foods have higher contamination levels and evaluate the mycotoxins adsorbent effect in beef cattle diets. The trial will have two phases; the first will be a survey. On the survey we will collect total mixed rations (TMR) used in Brazilian feedlots, to characterize which ingredients have a higher mycotoxin level. The survey will be conducted in 30 feedlots. Data will be submitted to multivariate statistical analysis, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. After knowledge of the main ingredients with high mycotoxins levels, will develop the second phase of the experiment, using 196 beef cattle, with body weight of 340 kg. The treatments will be TMR with high mycotoxin levels (RHM), TMR with low mycotoxin levels (RLM), TMR with high mycotoxin levels + adsorbent (RHM + ADS) and TMR with low mycotoxin levels + adsorbent (RLM + ADS). The ingredients used in the TMR will be determined with high mycotoxin levels in the survey and an ingredient artificially contaminated with the main mycotoxins found in the evaluated ingredients. The mycotoxin adsorbent we will use is the Mycrosorb® Alltech, which consists of dried beer yeast, soluble solids fermentation, sodium aluminosilicate and calcium aluminosilicate. Will be analysed bromatological components, microbiological components and mycotoxins components of the TMR and ingredients. On the animals will be measured performance characteristics, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics, meat quality, adaptation speed, serum enzymes, histopathological analysis and immunity analysis. The experimental design will be blocks randomized in a 2x2 factorial design. Data will be submitted to analysis of variance using the SAS MIXED procedure and the averages will be compared by t test at 10% probability.